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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. content — the amount
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fork — in a road
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. craft — boats
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. last — finally
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. club — for dancing
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. club — a group
  17. bass — the fish
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bass — low music
  20. content — happy
  21. craft — a skill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. club — for golf
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com